Not too Hard for God

Have you ever gotten to the point in your life where you felt like you were at the end of your rope? Everything you tried seemed to just blow up in your face. Nothing went like you had hoped, or even as you had planned. And, you felt as though you just kept coming up against brick walls.

Your heart was in the right place, and you were moving in a forward direction, but Satan just kept fighting hard against you, using loved ones, friends, or church people to oppose you, and to try to get you to compromise with the world, or to not take life so seriously.

It seemed no one was on your side, and “in your ball court,” except God. Even those who were supposed to love and support and protect you had turned against you, and so you felt without hope, without resources, and lacking the strength to fight anymore. And, so you just wanted to throw up the white flag and say, “I surrender!” Have you been there? I have!

So, what are we to do when we get to that place? We need to call on God for help, for strength, for comfort, for healing, and for direction. We need to also fight off Satan’s evil attacks against us with the truth of God’s Word. And, this is the truth from his Word regarding these times in our lives.

She Laughed

The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” Gen. 18:14 ESV

Abraham and Sarah were well past childbearing age, and yet God promised them that they would have a son, and that Abraham would be the father of many nations. The Bible says this about Abraham:

“Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform” (Rom. 4:20-21 NASB).

I think sometimes we grow weary when what we hope for takes too long, and so we get impatient with God, and thus, when things get really hard, we are ready to “throw in the towel.” We give up too soon, because we feel that what we hope for is not going to happen. We have our eyes fixed on our circumstances, instead of on God, and so we decide it is an impossible situation, and there is just no way that good will come out of it. And, so we bail, because it got too hard, and/or because it looked too impossible.

But, we forget that, with God, anything is possible, according to his will and purpose. Nothing within his perfect will is too hard for him to do. He is the God of impossible situations. He is the God of miracles, too. So, we need to yield to God’s will, pray for direction, and then do what he shows us, and move forward, not backward. Instead of just giving up, we should see what God is up to, then trust him, and then follow his lead.

Not Looking Good?

‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. Jer. 32:17 ESV

“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?” Jer. 32:27 ESV

God’s people were in captivity. Jerusalem was under siege. Jeremiah was under arrest and being held in confinement because of what he was prophesying in the name of the Lord. Things didn’t look too promising. And, yet, God told Jeremiah to buy a field, so he did, even though, by human understanding, it probably was illogical.

God’s people were in captivity because, although God had rescued them, and he had provided for them, and had led them, they did not obey him, but they did evil in his sight. So, God judged them, and he brought disaster on them, but not to destroy them, but to bring them to their knees, so they would return to him.

So, again, things were not exactly looking good. The people were living in open rebellion against God. Sin was abounding. And, now their land was being conquered. All looked pretty hopeless. But, then God said, “Is anything too hard for me?”

You see, God had a plan. And, his plan was to revive his people and to bring them back into fellowship with him, so that he would be their God, and they would be his people. His plan was, that through a very difficult circumstance, he would work a miracle in their hearts and lives. And, that they would fear him, and so they would walk in his ways. Now he would bring good on them. And, fields would be bought once more.

So, sometimes, when things look utterly hopeless, we need to seek God’s face and allow him to show us what he is doing in these circumstances, and how he is working all things for good for those who love God and who are called according to his purposes. When things seem to be at their very worst may be the time when God will break through, and a miracle will happen. So, we have to know that nothing, within God’s will, is too hard for God. So, we should never give up, but we should trust him, walk with him, and do what he tells us to do, for he has a plan.

Nearly Impossible

But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Lu. 18:23-27 ESV

Hard, difficult, challenging, and even nearly impossible is not too hard for God. We can’t do it, but he can. We see stubborn and rebellious hearts, living in sin, addicted to all sorts of sinful practices, children and spouses being abused, betrayed and abandoned, and cruel and inhumane treatment of the oppressed at the hands of the wealthy and powerful, and we wonder if there is any hope that this will ever end.

We see lives torn apart by sin, hatred and violence, lies and betrayal, broken marriages, and children exposed to all sorts of evil via internet devices, and we wonder when or if God will ever intervene. We see the addicted, too, hanging on to their idols, often unwilling to let go, or fighting to hold on, or trying to delicately balance their sinful practices with their Christian lives, and we wonder if they will ever come to their senses and truly give God their all in total surrender to his will. Some people have already written them off, and have decided they will never change.

Yet, I believe in miracles. I’ve seen a soul set free! I know God’s power to change lives and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they can receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ. So, there is always hope until they are dead or until Jesus Christ returns. Until then, we should keep praying, because with man, this is impossible, this deliverance from our chains, but with God, it is not.

So, when things look bleak, when our plans fail, when life kicks us in the rear, and the opposition is strong, we need to put on the armor of God and fight Satan and his lies and believe in God’s Word and his promises, and then just let him lead us as to the way he wants us to go. Instead of running away when life gets too hard, we need to run to God. He may say, “Leave,” but he may say, “Stay.” So, we need to do what he says, and then just trust him with the results. He will give us all we need to endure, and the wisdom we need to keep persevering, even when all looks utterly hopeless. We just need to rest in him, rely on his strength and power, and keep pressing on.

His Strength Is Perfect

Steven Curtis Chapman

His strength is perfect when our strength is gone

He'll carry us when we can't carry on

Raised in His power, the weak become strong

His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGC9KT918Kk

Sunday, December 31, 2017, 6:13 p.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for these encouraging and hopeful words. Help us to hear you clearly, and to follow your lead, and to run to you and not from you when things get hard.

Something Skipped

Have you found yourself in a spiral of sin, confess, sin, confess, sin, confess, but you never seem to progress past that? You keep repeating the same patterns, the same sins, the same responses, with the same lies, and the same attitudes, but you just can’t seem to jump ship. It is a lot like driving around and around in a cul-de-sac but never getting out on to the street and going in a direction and then keeping on in going in that direction. Everything just gets recycled over and over again, and with the same excuses, too. It is a lot like being on a merry-go-round, but it never stops, and so you can’t get off. Or, you believe you can’t get off, but you can.

The Lord Jesus led me to read Isaiah 43:18-28 (ESV).

“Remember not the former things,

    nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I am doing a new thing;

    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness

    and rivers in the desert.

The wild beasts will honor me,

    the jackals and the ostriches,

for I give water in the wilderness,

    rivers in the desert,

to give drink to my chosen people,

    the people whom I formed for myself

that they might declare my praise.” Vv. 18-21

When you came to believe in Jesus Christ, what gospel were you taught? What was your concept of the word “believe”? To you, what does salvation mean?

I ask these questions, because we were not all taught the same, and what we came to believe, because of what we were taught, is critical to our eternal salvation and to the merry-go-round finally stopping so that we can get off; and to getting out of that cul-de-sac, so that we can move forward.

I think most of us were probably taught these basics: Jesus Christ, the Son of God (God the Son), left his throne in heaven, came to earth, took on human flesh, and suffered and was tempted like we are, yet without sin. He healed the sick and afflicted, raised the dead, cast out demons, performed many miracles, comforted the sorrowful, and he preached the good news.

But, the religious leaders in the temple hated him, so they had him hung on a cross to die, but this was God’s will for him. For, in his death he who knew no sin became sin for us. He took our place and our punishment for sin on himself so that we could be forgiven our sins and have the hope of heaven when we leave this earth. Yet, he did not remain dead. He rose again, then he ascended back to heaven, and one day he will come again.

But, what many are leaving out is why the religious leaders put Jesus to death, and they are omitting much of the truth as to why Jesus died for our sins, too. And, they also omit what it means to believe in Jesus Christ, and what difference that belief should make in our lives day in and day out.

The Truth

The religious leaders in the temple put Jesus to death because they hated him, they didn’t believe in him, they were jealous of him, and they decided he was a blasphemer because he claimed to be God. They were jealous of him because of his popularity among the people, and they were threatened by that and feared that their own positions of power and influence were at risk. And, they hated him because he pointed out their sins, and he didn’t comply to their religious rituals nor did he bow to their man-made religion.

When Jesus was on this earth, he preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins. He taught that to follow him we had to deny self, take up our cross daily, i.e. daily die to sin and self, and follow (obey) him. He said that if we did not eat his flesh and drink his blood, i.e. if we did not participate with him in death to sin, that we had no part in him, and that we did not have eternal life. And, he said that if we held on to our old lives of sin, we would lose our lives for eternity, but if we lose our lives, i.e. if we die with him to sin, we will save our lives, i.e. we will have eternal life with him in glory.

Thus, Jesus died on that cross, not just so we could be forgiven our sins and have eternal life with God in heaven. But, he died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. He died that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For, if we walk (conduct our lives) according to the flesh, we will die in our sins, not have the hope of eternal life with God.

So, what is the point of all this? It is that so many people are teaching a gospel absent of the cross of Christ in our lives. There is no death to sin and no living to righteousness in their gospel, for they do not teach the necessity of repentance or obedience for salvation. But, Jesus did. The apostles did. But, not to earn our salvation, but as part of believing faith, for the gift of salvation is not just forgiveness of sin, but it is deliverance from slavery (addiction, bondage) to sin. It is deliverance from the merry-go-round, so we can get off and so we can get on that path of righteousness and move forward, and not backward, and so we don’t keep going in circles.

“Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;

    but you have been weary of me, O Israel!

You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,

    or honored me with your sacrifices.

I have not burdened you with offerings,

    or wearied you with frankincense.

You have not bought me sweet cane with money,

    or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.

But you have burdened me with your sins;

    you have wearied me with your iniquities.” Vv. 22-24

The problem here is two-fold. There are those who have bought into a false grace gospel, have prayed a prayer after someone else, and thus they believe they are saved from their sins, and that they have the hope of heaven when they leave this earth. But, they never repented of their sins. They never were crucified with Christ in death to sin, so they also were not resurrected with him to newness of life, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Thus, they have not been born again.

That part got skipped. They just went from acknowledging what Jesus did for us on that cross and accepting his forgiveness, but minus repentance, to trying to live the Christian life, but in the flesh. And, that is why they can’t get off the merry-go-round, because they missed a step. They skipped that part about turning away from a lifestyle of sin to walking with Christ in obedience, because someone told them they didn’t have to. And, in the flesh they will not be able to be free from their addiction to sin.

The other aspect of this is those who did genuinely receive Jesus Christ as Savior of their lives, but at some point in their lives, they fell back into sin, and they didn’t truly repent, and so they got stuck there. And, the only way out for them is to come clean, to confess their sins, to turn from them, in the power of the Spirit, and to walk in righteousness, in the strength of the Lord. They have to once again yield their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ, and lean on him, and trust in him, and choose to follow him.

So, God is not pleased! He gets no pleasure in our insincere sacrifices or our superficial acts of worship of him. He is weary of our pretenses, and our false confessions of loyalty to him, which are lacking in true repentance. And, so he is calling out to those who profess his name to repent in truth, and to seek his face, and to walk in his love, and to yield to his Spirit.

“I, I am he

    who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,

    and I will not remember your sins.

Put me in remembrance; let us argue together;

    set forth your case, that you may be proved right.

Your first father sinned,

    and your mediators transgressed against me.

Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary,

    and deliver Jacob to utter destruction

    and Israel to reviling. Vv. 25-28

Our Lord longs to be gracious to us and to forgive us our sins and to daily cleanse us from all unrighteousness, if we will come to him in truth, and if we will honestly give our lives to him in full surrender.

As believers in Jesus, if we do not repent, and we hold on to sin, he will discipline (chastise, rebuke) us. He will judge his adulterous church, but not to condemn, but to save, i.e. to bring them to their knees so that they will leave (forsake) their idols, and so they will follow him in obedience.

For those, though, who think they are saved, but they skipped repentance and obedience entirely, because they were convinced they didn’t have to, they must know that if we walk in sin and we make sin our practice, we will die in our sin, not have the hope of eternal life with God. But, if we, by the Spirit, are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, and if we are walking according to the Spirit, then we will live with Christ for eternity (See: Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 4:17-24).

Handel’s Messiah Pt 1 (excerpt)

The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple,

even the messenger of the Covenant, whom ye delight in;

behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts.

(Malachi 3:1)

But who may abide the day of His coming,

and who shall stand when He appeareth?

For He is like a refiner’s fire.

(Malachi 3:2)

And He shall purify the sons of Levi,

that they may offer unto the Lord

an offering in righteousness.

(Malachi 3:3)

Sunday, December 31, 2017, 4:44 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for this teaching from your word. May we all take it to heart. Amen!

These Things

The Lord Jesus led me to read John 16 (Select vv. ESV).

“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.”

What are “these things” Jesus said to them to keep them from falling away?

Well, first off, He spoke “these things” during the Passover Feast with his disciples. Jesus knew that his hour had come when he was to be betrayed by one of his own, and when he would be handed over to being put to death on a cross. So, he was preparing his disciples for what was to come, not just in his death, though, but in his resurrection, and in his ascension back to the Father, and in his sending of his Holy Spirit to indwell them and to give them comfort, encouragement, instruction, strength and power to endure.

Just prior to saying these things here, he had given them instructions on the importance of abiding in him, and he in them, and of his words abiding in them. He told them that, unless they abide in him, and he in them, that they could not bear fruit for God’s eternal kingdom. He also said to them that by bearing much fruit, they would, thus, prove themselves to be his disciples. He went on to tell them that they must also abide in his love, and that the way they would do this would be by keeping (obeying) his commandments. And, he also let them know that, as fruit bearers, they should expect to be pruned, but if they bore no fruit, that they would be removed from him.

Then, he told them that, as his followers, they should expect that the world would hate them, because it first hated him. He said, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” And, then he told them that if the world persecuted him, they would also persecute them. But, who is this “world” he was speaking of here?

They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.”

Who were Jesus’ greatest persecutors? Who plotted his death and did whatever it took to make certain that he died on that cross? It was not the Romans (the Gentiles). It was his own people, some from his own family, and of his same faith, i.e. the Jewish faith. And, it was the leaders in the temple of God. They were the ones who hated him and persecuted him and who put him to death on a cross. And, why? Because he was not like them. Because he stood out as different. Because he stood on the truth of God’s Word, and he did not make compromises with the world, and because he did not follow their human traditions and their man-made hypocritical religion.

So, KNOW THIS! If you follow the Lord Jesus with all your heart, and you don’t make compromises with the world, and you stand on what is truth, and you speak against what is false, you will be treated just like Jesus was treated, and for many of the same reasons.

And, don’t think that it is going to be the unsaved world who will be the strongest against you, either, but your fiercest opponents may very well come from within the worldly church, which has given itself over to the world and to man-made religion in order to attract the world to its gatherings. And, some of them may kick you out of their gatherings, or at least invite you to leave and to go someplace else, too.

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

But, we can be comforted, for we are not alone, nor do we have to fight this battle alone against the enemy of our souls, who wants nothing but to destroy us. Our God is with us, and he is in us in the person of the Holy Spirit. He will teach us all things we need to know to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to him, and to fight off these evil attacks against us in the power of the Spirit within us, and by God’s grace. He will strengthen us to stand strong on his Word no matter how many people come against us and persecute or reject or hate or mistreat us, and because we believe and because we teach what God’s Word says.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”

Jesus was talking about his death which was to come, and how his disciples would weep over it, and that they would be sad at heart, but that the world, which had put him to death, would rejoice, thinking they had stopped him. And, then he encouraged them, that though they would be sad, and that they would go through hard times, that the end result would be worth it all.

Well, he is giving us the same message. Not that we are now sad over his death, for his death provided us with salvation, and we now have the Spirit living within us, which is Christ in us, the hope of glory, but that we will be sad over how the world and even the worldly church are now treating Jesus Christ, and over how they are treating his servants, which includes us.

So, even though we are in the pains of childbirth right now, and we will suffer for the name of Jesus Christ, and we will bear his stripes in how people persecute us, we can rejoice, because we know that our present sufferings will be for good in our own lives, but also will be for the purpose to help strengthen, comfort and encourage the body of Christ in their sufferings. Through it all, God’s name will be honored and glorified, and one day this will all be over, and we will be with our Lord forever.

So, praise his holy name, that we are considered worthy to suffer for the sake of his name. God will bring good out of it all. Amen!

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

So, we should not let our times of tribulation undo us. We should not let them weigh us down or cause us to fear. But, we should rest in the Lord, rely on his strength and encouragement, trust in his grace, and seek his guidance in what we are to do and say each and every day, and in every circumstance we find ourselves in. He will counsel us in the way that we should go.

But, we should expect opposition, and be ready at all times with the armor of God in place to fight off Satan’s lies against us and to put on the truth.

Lord, Move Me 

An Original Work / October 16, 2011

Be my desire, my heart set on fire,

Lord, move me to worship You only, I pray.

Fill with Your Spirit, my heart overflow.

Lord, may I long for You; Your word to know.

Teach me to walk with You, Lord, in Your power,

And may I serve You, Lord, right now in this hour.

Lord, how I want to obey You forever.

Help me to hear You, Lord, so I will not stray.

Teach me to love You; adore You always.

Envelope me, Lord, with Your grace today.

Meet me in my need, and show me Your mercy.

Forgive me for all things, as I humbly pray.

Counsel me, lead me, direct me, and guide me,

So I follow You, Lord, where’er You lead now.

I love to hear You speak Your words to me.

I am so grateful that You set me free.

Wash me, and cleanse me, and make me like You, Lord,

And I will live with You for eternity.

https://vimeo.com/125966625

Saturday, December 30, 2017, 8:01 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for this teaching from your Word. Thank you, too, for how you encourage and strengthen our hearts. 

A Battle with Fear

Do you battle with fear? I did for a good portion of my life. Since I was abused as a child, by an angry father, I was afraid pretty much all of the time then. And, throughout my adult years, I also battled with fear, because I did not understand the sovereignty of God over my life, and I thought Satan still had power over me, and that God had not the power to do anything about it. I knew better in my mind, but not in my heart; not in my emotions or in my reactions to my circumstances. Maybe you identify.

The Lord Jesus led me to read John 14 (Select vv. NASB).

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

Fear is the opposite of faith; the opposite of trust. When we believe God’s Word, and what it teaches us, and when we believe God’s many promises to us, not just in our minds, but in our hearts and in our emotions, then fear will dissipate. But, we have to first know what the Word of God teaches us, and we need to understand it, not just intellectually, but within the depths of our souls. And, sometimes, it is a difficult path to get there because of the wrong messages we had fed into our minds, perhaps by abusive fathers.

Let me paint a picture for you of what this looks like. Let me take you back to my childhood. My father was angry all the time, mean, and a bully who took advantage of those weaker than him. He was always trying to prove that he was the strongest, the smartest, the most talented, etc. He had been abused, too, not that that excused away his behavior, for he knew better. So, he beat on us, mostly on our mother, and he yelled and screamed and he sexually abused some of us. He wielded enormous power over us, and we were all afraid of him. Basically, he was the epitome of Satan to me.

I believed in Jesus Christ as my Savior when I was around 7 years of age. I knew I was a sinner in need of the Savior. I poured out all my suffering to God in prayer. I wept over all my sin. And, I repented of my sin and I chose to follow the Lord with my life. Yet, that didn’t change my circumstances at home. But, I did turn to the Lord daily in my pain, and in my sadness, and I did confess my sins to him, if I sinned against the Lord, and I prayed for his help, and I received his comfort and encouragement on a daily basis.

Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me?”

But, the abuse still continued. I had not been rescued from the abuse. And, so, I got this image of God that he was able to comfort and encourage and help me in my suffering, but that he could not deliver me from it, and thus, in my emotions, I believed he was limited in power, but that Satan still had the power to wreak havoc in my life. And, I carried that subconscious belief into my adult life, where I faced even more abuse from various people. And, so I continued to respond with fear, and, metaphorically speaking, as though I was that child with arms crossed over her face, hoping to not get hit, but knowing that she would.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him… and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.”

It was a long journey for me before I finally understood, not just in my mind, but in my emotions, that God is absolutely sovereign over every aspect of my life, and that he is all powerful, and that Satan is already defeated.

This did not mean that I no longer faced difficult situations or that I will not yet face them, but what it does mean is that I came to accept that life is going to have its difficulties, but that God is still on his throne. He allows sinful people to do horrible things, and he does not promise us that we will not suffer unjustly in this world. In fact, he says we will. So, trusting in his sovereignty means yielding to his will, and trusting him in my circumstances to give me the strength to endure, but also the strength to stand strong on the Word of Truth, and to use the armor of God to fight off Satan’s lies.

For, Satan will lie to us, and he will convince us that God is not all powerful, and that God is weak, but that Satan is all powerful, and that he can wield that power against us, and thus we have no recourse but to be afraid. But, we don’t have to fear! For, nothing can touch us but what God allows it. God is absolutely in control, and nothing surprises him. He is not caught off guard by what takes us by surprise. He knew what was coming. And, he already had a plan for what he was going to do in our lives and through our lives despite our circumstances, and because of what we are going through.

“These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

These things come into our lives to draw us to God, to strengthen us in our faith, to cause us to trust in the Lord, and to lean on him, and to rest in him. They come so that we will learn to not rely on ourselves, but on God. And, they happen in our lives to mature us, to prune us, to purify us, and to make us holy; to make us Christ-like. They strengthen us, and they teach us perseverance, and they teach us love and compassion for others who are going through similar circumstances, so that we can encourage them with the encouragement we received from the Lord.

Daily we must take up the armor of God with which to fight off Satan’s evil attacks against us. But, these are not all defensive weapons. Some of them are offensive weapons, like the sword of the Spirit. So, instead of cowering in a corner out of fear with arms crossed in front of our faces, just trying to not get hit, we can put on that sword of the Spirit, and we can fight off Satan’s lies with the truth that our God will never leave us or forsake us, and that he has empowered us to live godly and holy lives, and that Satan is a defeated foe, and that he has no power over us. We can set our faces like flint and be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power, and not give way to fear ever again because we believe God’s Word, now in our hearts.

Fear Not, Little Flock / An Original Work

Based off Luke 12 / February 10, 2016

Fear not, little flock,

Your Lord’s always near.

Jesus will come and

Wipe every tear.

Trust in His mercy,

Rest in His love.

He’ll give you comfort

From heaven above.

Our precious Redeemer,

Jesus, our friend,

He will be with us,

True to the end.

He will not leave you,

Faithful He’ll be.

Believe His promises,

Rest on His knee.

Our God, and provider,

He knows our need.

He’ll not forsake you.

Follow His lead.

He’ll love and comfort you

To the end.

Know, on His Word,

You can always depend.

https://vimeo.com/154896384

Friday, December 29, 2017, 5:58 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, that you deliver from fear and that you strengthen us to walk by faith. Amen!

If You Are Willing

The Lord Jesus led me to read Matthew 11 (Select vv. NIV).

“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,

    who will prepare your way before you.’” V. 10b

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. He who has ears, let him hear.” Vv. 12-15 NIV84

I believe the Lord has a message here for the church in America, particularly for its leaders. I believe he has sent us many messengers throughout the years, and including still today, to speak his words to our hearts, and to show us the way to true faith in Jesus Christ, via repentance, i.e. via turning from our sins and turning to Jesus Christ to walk in his ways and in his truth.

But, so much of today’s church has rejected those messages and they have gone the way of the world instead, and they have bought into a false grace gospel which tells people what they want to hear, not what they need to hear.

So, the present spiritual condition of the church, overall, but not speaking of the entire church, is problematic. It is a mess. What is spiritually alive, pure, and is wholesome is scarce, while what is lewd, worldly and immoral is rampant (widespread) within the church and within our nation. And, yet they are arrogant. They are proud. They are haughty.

The messages coming forth from this worldly church are inconsistent, all over the place theologically, and divisive. Much of what is being taught is contrary to scripture. And, the church is on a huge spiritual and moral decline and is plunging further and further into oblivion and degradation.

On a surface level, it does not appear to be as bad as what it really is, but below the surface, much evil and immorality exist and are often ignored, so they are allowed to continue to go on unchecked. Yet, the more you dig down to see what lies underneath, the more you are able to see all the filth, the immorality and the lewdness. A very large majority of pastors, church leaders and heads of households are addicted to or are regularly entertaining themselves with pornography, sensuality, masturbation, extra-marital affairs, lust, prostitutes, homosexuality, and/or other sexual perversions.

These sins are not confined to just men, but I believe the Lord is addressing men primarily here, because they are the ones given the responsibility for the spiritual protection and guidance of the church and of the home. And, the Lord is telling them that they need to clean up the mess. They need to get rid of all this filth in their lives, in their homes, and in the church, and they need to replace this filth with what is pure, holy, righteous, and moral. And, they need to love their wives and their congregations with the love of Christ instead of being self-serving, feeding their own flesh (See: Ez. 34).

One of the reasons sin has been allowed to go unchecked in the church and in the home is because of all the lies and the deceptions that are also running rampant. Many are self-deceived and they have been able to convince others of their lies. But, when we get to the bottom of it all, and our eyes are opened to the truth, and we see what is really going on, we need to stand up and say “NO!” We need to no longer tolerate all the lies and deception, but we need to speak out about it. And, we need to confront the lies and open people’s minds to the truth, so that they can see, too.

We need to be the people of God who stand on the truth, who stand up for what is right, and who refuse to be intimidated or shamed into believing the lies and into joining in with what we know is not of God, but is of Satan.

“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

“‘We played the pipe for you,

    and you did not dance;

we sang a dirge,

    and you did not mourn.’

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.” Vv. 16-19

Yet, when we choose to stand for what is right and against what is wrong, and we expose the lies and the deceptions and the dilution of the gospel, we can expect to face much opposition. And, we can expect to be verbally or even physically attacked, too. We can expect people to make comments to us which are disparaging, taunting, intimidating, and boastful. Again, they will do this to try to shame us into compromise, and to try to get us to disobey God and his Word. They will try to make us look bad so that we will feel guilty, but we have to know that trick, and not fall for it. Instead, we have to say we will have none of it, but we will continue to obey our Lord.

A lot of this opposition comes from the US government, which serves in a subservient position to the de facto government of these United States, which is a small privileged class of people, the elite of the world, i.e. a shadow government. And, this small group of elite, wealthy and powerful, are the ones truly running the world, who are bringing the world into a New World Order, i.e. into a global government with a global one-world religion. The US government serves this N.W.O. in conquering nations, peoples, Christians, lands, property, and natural resources in these nations.

Much of this opposition, though, comes from within the institutional church, which is comprised of the church in an unholy union with the government, i.e. in an adulterous relationship with the government, who they have made their head in place of Christ. And, thus, many have turned the church into a place of business, and they are marketing it just like any other business, and so they plan their gatherings to appeal to the masses and their message to appeal to human flesh, rather than to be in concert with the Holy Spirit.

And, so they try to get the Lord’s servants, the teachers of the Word, to compromise with the world and to bring forth messages which are sometimes mocking of God and of spiritual matters, which are often misleading and deceptive, and which are fashionable, i.e. “cool”. They want to convince us to preach what is popular and that which is pleasing to the ear. They also want us to pad the gospel message with humor, and even with that which is borderline profane. And, they want us to show movie clips from movies which are sometimes sexually provocative. And, all this is because they want the church to turn to that which is of Satan and to reject that which is of God. This is the agenda of the New World Order.

So, we must cry out against such perversions of truth and such blasphemy of God and against all the filth and immorality going on inside the walls of Christianity. We must cry out against all the lies, deceptions, and trickery, and the diluting of the gospel which is intended in order to appease the flesh of man and to lead people away from Christ. And, we must not yield to their intimidation tactics which are intended to try to get us to back down from the truth and to compromise with the world. And, we have to stand strong on the Word of Truth, for only in it will people be able to find true life.

We have to open our eyes, too, to this enemy which is hidden within the walls of institutional Christianity, which is there to destroy the church and the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have to realize that the church, for the most part, has partnered with the antichrist, and she is allowing the antichrist to destroy the church from within. We, as the church, have to stop dancing to the tune of this “Pied Piper,” and we must come out from among her, so that we don’t share in her sins and in her punishment, and so the Lord will receive us (See: Rev. 18:4-5; cf. 2 Co. 6:14-18).

And, instead, we must follow the leading of Jesus Christ and his Spirit. We must know what the Word of God teaches on these matters, and we must follow the truth, and reject the lies. We need to turn to the Lord for our support and as our sanctuary, not to men, and not to the government. And, we must learn from the Lord and not from humanistic philosophies, which are contrary to God’s Word.

Oh, I pray with all my heart that God would open the eyes of the deceived and that they would follow Jesus Christ in purity of heart and devotion and forsake all their idols.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Vv. 28-30

Near the Cross 

Fanny J. Crosby / William H. Doane

Jesus, keep me near the cross;

There a precious fountain,

Free to all, a healing stream,

Flows from Calvary's mountain.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,

Love and mercy found me;

There the bright and morning star

Sheds its beams around me.

          

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,

Bring its scenes before me;

Help me walk from day to day

With its shadow o'er me.

Near the cross I'll watch and wait,

Hoping, trusting ever,

Till I reach the golden strand

Just beyond the river.

        

In the cross, in the cross,

Be my glory ever,

Till my raptured soul shall find

Rest beyond the river.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BasJqHsCIo4

Thursday, December 28, 2017, 7:24 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for this teaching from your Word. Show us the truth, I pray. Amen!

A People Divided

There are so many things which divide us as a nation, as a people, and as the children of God. We are divided by hatred, violence, political affiliation, denomination, race, religion, social status, culture, belief systems, etc. We are also divided by greed, love of power, idolatry, spiritual and physical adultery, wars of men, lies, deceptions, manipulations, betrayal, and rejection of Christ and of his followers, and by false prophets and teachers of the people, and false gospels of men, etc. 

This song is a call to leave our idols, our desires for wealth and power, and the things which divide us as a people of God that are not of God, such as hatred, unforgiveness, pride, adultery, and all that is called sin in the Bible. We are to turn from our sins, and we are to make the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord and master of our lives, choosing to walk with him in full surrender to his will for our lives and in obedience to his commands.

A People Divided

An Original Work / July 4, 2011

Flick’ring torches; hatred; violence;

Crashing windows; guns of men;

We are a people divided

By our love of pow’r and fame.

Idols marching; they’re in chorus;

Their goal to destroy the church,

Tempting us to follow them in

Pure devotion; them we search.

Leave your idols. Follow your God.

Make Him your Lord God and King.

Be a living witness for Him,

And your off’rings to Him bring.

Repent of your sins and worship Him.

A living sacrifice,

Put your all upon His altar.

Leave your old life way behind.

Flick’ring torches; hatred; violence;

Crashing windows; guns of men;

We are a people divided

By our love of pow’r and fame.

https://vimeo.com/126494411

His Benefits

What is the Christian life all about? What does it mean to believe in Jesus Christ? Is it a mere “escape clause” written into a contract between two parties? Is it merely a free ride to heaven on a “gravy train”? Is it just a religion and religious beliefs and practices, also including religious rituals? Or, is there more to it? Or, is it something else? And, if so, then what?

The Lord Jesus led me to read Psalm 103 (Select vv. NASB).

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases;

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

Who satisfies your years with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. Vv. 1-5

This is awesome! For those of us who put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, as Lord, and as Savior of our lives, he forgives our sins. This means that he removes the punishment of our sin, so that we will not be eternally condemned. But, it isn’t just that. He removes the sin, the addictions, the slavery to sin, and he delivers us from the power Satan had over our lives, and he sets us free! He removes the guilt and the shame, too, for what we have done, and he gives us a clean slate! It is as though we never sinned.

But, this is not automatic. What I mean is, just because Jesus provided this for us when he died on the cross for our sins, it does not mean that everyone has this. We have to believe in Jesus. Yet, we must know that “belief” in Jesus is not a feeling (emotional experience) or a mere acknowledgment of Christ and of what he did for us on that cross.

But, it is us drawn to Christ by God the Father, and it is us divinely persuaded of our sinfulness and of our need of the Savior, and of God’s purpose and will in providing salvation for us. Thus, if divinely persuaded, we will submit to God’s will, surrender our lives to Christ, turn from our lives of sin, and turn to follow Christ.

When we believe in Jesus Christ, we die with him to sin, and we are resurrected with him to newness of life, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. The old has gone. The new has come.

But, this is just the beginning. This is a life-long process of putting off the old and putting on the new, of taking up our cross daily and following Christ, of daily being cleansed of sin, and of, by the Spirit, putting to death the deeds of the flesh. It is walking in fellowship with our Lord, according to the Spirit, and no longer living our lives according to our sinful flesh.

This walk of faith, though, is of The Spirit and by The Spirit, and not something we can generate in and of our own flesh. Only in the power and working of God’s Spirit within us can we say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives, while we wait for Christ’s return. But, we must cooperate with God’s work of grace in our lives. We must work with him in doing what he says to do, and in following him wherever he leads us.

It is a daily walk of faith, continuous, and persistent. It involves daily being in the Word of God, listening to our Savior speaking truth to our hearts, and then us following him in faith in whatever he tells us or he calls us to do.

And, part of this daily walk involves the Lord watching over us, caring about us, nurturing and comforting us, counseling us, and comforting us, too.

The Lord performs righteous deeds

And judgments for all who are oppressed.

He made known His ways to Moses,

His acts to the sons of Israel. Vv. 6-7

Who are the oppressed? They are those who are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ, who are suffering emotional or verbal or physical abuse of some sort because of their testimonies for Jesus Christ, and for their stand on His Word. But, they are also those suffering abuse from spouses who are addicted to sin. They are children who are being abused and taken advantage of by those in positions of authority over them, or by those who are trusted family or friends. They are those, too, who have been captured and turned into slaves, or workers whose bosses mistreat them, etc.

For all those suffering abuse, mistreatment and/or betrayal of some kind, my heart goes out to you. I feel your pain! I hurt for you! I empathize with your suffering. When I hear your stories, my heart cries out for you to God. And, I cry real tears for you, too, because I understand. I know that pain.

So, in trying to understand what the psalmist was saying here to those of us who are oppressed, in some way, I read some commentaries, and this one said it so well, so I just felt I should quote the commentator on this one:

“The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment - That is, "justice." He sees that justice is done to the oppressed. He is on their side. His law, his commands, his judicial decisions, his providential interpositions, are in their favor. This does not mean that it will he done at once; or that there will never be any delay; or that they may not suffer even for a long time - for this occurs in fact; but the meaning is, that God has their true interest at heart; that at proper times, and whenever and whereever there are any dealings of his in the case, his acts are in favor of those that are oppressed; and that there will be sooner or later such interpositions in their behalf as shall entirely vindicate their cause.” Barnes’ Notes on The Bible

For those of us who put our trust in Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior of our lives, we can be encouraged that our Lord is with us, that he is watching over us, that he is our comfort, and that he will carry us through it all.

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

For He Himself knows our frame;

He is mindful that we are but dust. Vv. 8-14

We serve a loving, compassionate, kind and gracious God. Not one of us is deserving of his love and grace. Not one of us can do anything, in our flesh, to deserve or to earn his love and grace, either, or our own salvation. This is a free gift from God, not of human works, lest any of us should boast.

But, a lot of people get hung up on this word “free” and they assume there is no cost involved at all, and no requirements. They see God’s grace as something which is just handed to us, regardless of anything which we do. But, that is because they don’t really grasp the meaning of the “gift.”

This gift of God’s grace to us is not a mere escape from hell and the promise of heaven when we die, though many people believe it is, or else they live like they believe that is all there is to it. And, so they see obedience as optional, and repentance as not necessary at all.

But, God’s grace to us is not a free license to continue in sin without guilt and without remorse. His grace to us instructs (commands) us to say “NO” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await Christ’s return.

Jesus didn’t die just to save us from the punishment of sin, but to deliver us from bondage (slavery, addiction) to sin. He didn’t die just to forgive us our sins, but that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He didn’t die just to save us, but to transform us! So, the gift is deliverance from our slavery to sin and it is the freedom to walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness, so if we are to be truly free, we need to submit to God’s work of grace in our lives, and apply to our lives what he did for us on that cross.

For, this is what it means to fear God. His love and his grace are great towards those of us who fear him, who honor him as the Holy God that he is, and who respect, obey and submit to him and to his purposes for our lives. This is how we are truly set free. And, this is truly what it means to “believe.”

In Christ Alone

Stuart Townend & Keith Getty

In Christ alone my hope is found,

He is my light, my strength, my song;

This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!

My Comforter, my All in All,

Here in the love of Christ I stand…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENtL_li4GbE

Wednesday, December 27, 2017, 7:48 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for your grace and kindness towards us in saving us from our slavery to sin. Amen!

Foot Washing

The Lord Jesus reminded me this morning of a writing he gave me 10 years ago. As I read it again, it encouraged my heart, so I am sharing it with you, in hopes to encourage your hearts.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

I spent the day today in VA/WV. My husband Rick’s employer, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, sponsors regular mission trips to Bradshaw, WV. This was their big annual mission trip and it was my first mission trip ever, I think. So, I had no expectations. I just wanted to serve the Lord.

We arrived last night and enjoyed dinner and fellowship with a group of about 50 volunteers who came here just because they love Jesus. The Lord worked it out that we invited a married couple from NC to ride to dinner with us – a couple we had not met previously, and we ended up eating dinner with them and fellowshipping with them and with a man from Ohio. Their excitement for the Lord was very apparent.

We all met for devotions this morning before traveling to the mission site. The options for ministry were listed. There was one that was planned evangelism - where I would have the opportunity to share the gospel with people one on one. There was only one catch – I had to wash people’s feet. It just so happened that this is the ministry group that this couple was a part of.

Now, I am not a foot person. I don’t generally touch people with my feet, I don’t like to have anyone touch my feet and I don’t touch other people’s feet, except for maybe my grandchildren’s. So, this was going to stretch me, but I figured I could use the dose of humility – can’t we all?

This ministry group who was washing people’s feet was also supplying them with new socks and shoes, so the first thing we did was to unbox the shoes, remove papers from inside them, etc. so they were ready to be placed on people’s feet. They asked for the first four volunteers to wash people’s feet, but since I had never done anything like that before, I wanted to watch first. So, I went and observed. I listened to see what kinds of things they said, how they approached the gospel, and just in general how they did the service of foot washing.

The man in charge walked in and asked me if I was ready to begin washing feet yet but I told him I would just serve as prayer support for right now. I just wasn’t ready to get my feet wet. Then, I talked with the Lord about it. I said, “Lord, you talk with me all the time. Let me know what you want me to do.”

The Lord immediately gave me this verse:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Co. 5:17-18).

Immediately the Lord plugged into my mind that washing people’s feet and giving them new shoes to wear symbolized the truth of this passage of scripture. Then, I knew I was ready.

So, I sat down on the stool to wash the first person’s feet. It was a man. I imagined that this was going to be difficult for me, but the Lord just took over and it was amazing because when I was talking about Jesus to people and washing their feet, it really felt how I had imagined many times over in my mind that I was Mary washing Jesus’ feet with my tears and my hair. Now, I was his hands and his feet and his voice, too, to these people who came to get a new pair of shoes. And, I really did not even think twice about washing their feet. It was as though I had always done it, like the Lord just took over my hands.

I found this a wonderful opportunity to share the gospel with people. First off, I don’t do something just because everyone else is doing it or because it is the thing to do. So, I asked myself, “Why are we doing this? What is its purpose? What does it mean?” Since I wondered that myself, I figured other people might have the same question, so I began by asking them if they knew why we were doing this.

Some people knew it was an act of humility and servanthood and that Jesus had set an example for us when he washed the feet of his disciples. I knew that, too. Others didn’t know and still others saw it as a religious ritual that they did at communion but really didn’t know why they did it. But, the Lord gave me a picture, not only of servanthood and humility, but of the gospel message.

He helped me to see that just as people came in there with dirty feet and needed to have their feet cleansed, many of them also came in there with dirty hearts. We are all born with dirty hearts (born into sin) and we need to have our hearts cleansed just like we were washing their feet. Also, just as they removed their old shoes (or we removed them for them) and we put new shoes on them after we washed their feet, the Lord has provided the way that we can have our old dirty hearts removed and we can leave there not only with new shoes, but with new hearts.

I saw the symbolism of new shoes to be really interesting from another viewpoint, too, and that is that shoes are made for walking, so when the Lord cleanses our hearts and gives us new hearts, they are like new shoes – they are made for walking. In other words, He gives us a new walk. He doesn’t save us just so we can go to heaven one day, though that is certainly a wonderful promise, but he saves us to give us a new walk, i.e. a new direction in life; a new life period.

Also, another thing stood out to me. No one could have clean feet or new shoes just by standing there and believing that they had clean feet or new shoes. They had to humble themselves, sit down, remove their old shoes (or we removed them), put their feet in the water and allow us to put new shoes on their feet. So, this was faith in action. It showed them that faith is action, not just words or a state of mind, but we have to come to the Lord and we have to humble ourselves and bow before him and allow him to remove our old hearts, to cleanse us and to give us new hearts. That, to me, is awesome!! But, it all begins with the Father drawing them first. They also could not have clean feet and new shoes if we had not showed up and we had not invited them to come in and to receive this cleansing and these new shoes.

I could see in the looks of some of the people that the Holy Spirit was drawing them to himself, but at least three of the ones I spoke with have said they are not ready. One young lady said she knows God is calling her and is drawing her to himself and I could see it in her eyes, yet she still would not give her heart to Jesus. It broke my heart. Jesus is calling so many to himself, but they just aren’t ready, like I wasn’t ready to wash their feet until the Lord spoke to my heart and said “the old has gone and the new has come,” and then I knew I was ready. But, I still had to say “yes.” I pray that the people whose feet we washed today will say “yes” to Jesus because they got to see Jesus in action today through the lives of these ministers of HIS.

Sunday, October 14, 2007 – Rick and I were on our way home from WV/VA and we were listening to my Avalon CD when the song New Day played. Rick said, “That sounds like your foot washing,” and I agreed. Here is the chorus:

It's a new day

Oh, it's a new time

And there's a new way

I'm gonna live my life

All the old has, passed away

And the new has come

Thank God, It's a brand new day

The Lord gave me one more illustration from my foot washing experience which is based upon this statement that I made above:

They asked for the first four volunteers to wash people’s feet, but since I had never done anything like that before, I wanted to watch first. So, I went and observed. I listened to see what kinds of things they said, how they approached the gospel, and just in general how they did the service of foot washing.

Just as I observed the washers to make sure they were the real thing, that they were presenting the real gospel of Jesus Christ, and that they weren’t just going through a religious ritual before I would join them, unbelievers are also watching our lives to see if we are the real thing or if we are just going through the motions before they will make that decision to say “yes” to Jesus. So, it is really important that they see that Jesus is everything to us (Everything to Me / Avalon):

We're living in uncertain times

And more and more I find that I'm aware

Of just how fragile life can be

I want to tell the world I found

A love that turned my life around

They need to know that they can taste and see

Now everyday I'm praying

Just to give my heart away

I want live for Jesus

So that someone else might see that he is...

Everything to me

He's more than a story

more than words on a page of history

He's the air that I breathe

The water I thirst for

And the ground beneath my feet

He's everything, everything to me